Sample assembly for a measurement device

Abstract

A sample presentation apparatus comprises a round support movable in an optical assembly and having a flange region and an elevated gear shaped region having indexing gear cogs at intermediate radius locations of the support; a sample carrier slide holder removably supported on and movable with the support, the slide holder having at least one arm extending radially from a central hub of the sample carrier slide holder and being aligned between a first pair of indexing gear cogs; and at least one sample carrier slide removably supported on the support and aligned by the first pair of indexing gear cogs. In another embodiment of the invention, a self-aligning movable platform and support apparatus in an optical assembly comprises coarse and fine alignment mechanisms.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application is a continuation-in-part application Ser. No. 13 / 034,476, filed Feb. 24, 2011, which is hereby incorporated by reference.TECHNICAL FIELD[0002]The invention relates generally to a sample assembly for a measurement device and more specifically to a sample presentation apparatus that is versatile and may be fabricated from inexpensive methods.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Optical detection and measurement devices are a popular choice for many different applications. They provide the advantage of speed and accuracy of results for small sample volumes. However, the use of such devices requires carefully fabricated parts that have well-known dimensions within narrow tolerance ranges. Any deviations from these ranges will lead to erroneous results, inaccurate measurements, and sometimes even complete breakdown of the device.[0004]JP 8005345(A) illustrates an inexpensive inspection device which can be assembled with a substrat...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0016]Each of the sample carrier slides are removably supported on the support plate and aligned by one pair of indexing gear cogs. A front end of each sample carrier slide has two indentations each sized and spaced to receive an indexing gear cog of one pair of cogs to achieve alignment of each sample carrier. The sample carrier slide includes a U-shaped channel with wells or ports on each side through which the sample is introduced. The channels and wells may hold biological samples or other desired samples to be scanned by an optical assembly. Where the sample carrier slide comprises a U-shaped channel, the channel may be aligned with a circumferential periphery of the round support. Each sample carrier slide may include a radially outward finger grip for ease in loading onto and removal of the sample carrier slide from the optical assembly.

[0017]In one embodiment, the round support includes means for fastening to the movable platform including, in one example, a spin chuck. The round support plate has a corresponding hole for an indexing pin on an upper surface of a spin chuck. An underside of the round support has a first array of magnets that are opposed and slightly offset relative to a second array of magnets on the upper surface of the spin chuck. Coarse alignment of the round support relative to the spin chuck is achieved when the indexing pin is received within the corresponding hole and fine alignment is achieved when the attraction between the first array of magnets and the second array of magnets causes movement of the indexing pin to a fixed biased position within the hole and slight rotation of the round support relative to the movable platform.

Problems solved by technology

However, the use of such devices requires carefully fabricated parts that have well-known dimensions within narrow tolerance ranges.

Any deviations from these ranges will lead to erroneous results, inaccurate measurements, and sometimes even complete breakdown of the device.

However, such a device is capable of being used in limited situations only.

But, the methods and devices described herein require samples made available in carefully fabricated parts only.

While this piece is inexpensive, its use is limited to single kind of analysis only, and is not adaptable to other kinds of analysis.

The cartridges and sample containers described herein are generally expensive, or else, they are not conducive for optical measurements, but more suited for other types of measurements, such as electrical.

The processing steps involved in the preparation of a sample are generally labor-intensive and require expensive reagents.

Further, despite being of a disposable nature, the sample segments and cuvettes are quite expensive to manufacture.

The methods and devices are not adaptable for a variety of different assays and measurement systems, and are generally useful for only one particular kind of measurement.

Further, the components used, especially the disposable ones, are quite expensive requiring accurate and precise machining to reduce the imperfections to a minimum.

Hence, there is a dire need in the art to provide a sample to a fluorescent measurement device requiring inexpensive components and little sample preparation methods such that a variety of different measurements may be conducted in a scant-resource, harsh environments.

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